


leave me on the tracks

by cryptidquill



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Gen, Humanstuck, Suicide Attempt, quarantine's getting to me, sorry for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23623753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidquill/pseuds/cryptidquill
Summary: “Rose. Get off there. Get off of there right now!” Jade’s voice rose as she spoke, as the calm she had been trying to maintain disappeared almost instantly. The train whistled. Rose swung the other leg over and she turned, both hands gripping the rail behind her as she stared at the tracks beneath her. “Rose!” She would have to time this perfectly. She would have to jump at any second now.
Relationships: Jade Harley & Rose Lalonde, Jade Harley/Rose Lalonde
Kudos: 10





	leave me on the tracks

**Author's Note:**

> Title and inspiration from Landfill by Daughter

There were not many places to commit suicide in South Skaia. Not if you wanted to go out with a bang, at least. There was the river, of course, but that did not guarantee your body would be found. Guns were overrated, as were pills. And so, on this unusually warm October evening, Rose Lalonde found herself hovering next to the railing of an abandoned bridge that crossed the railroad tracks that ran straight through the neighborhood.  
“Oh my god, Rose! What the hell are you doing out here?” Rose refused to avert her eyes from what they were locked on; the oncoming train, about a mile out. Damn. She had not expected it to arrive so soon. Or for a friend to arrive and talk her out of it. “Your mom’s been worried sick. Once you didn’t come home or answer your phone, she called Dave and Roxy and Dirk. And they called everybody else. So now everybody’s worried sick. Including me. Especially me, actually.” Jade laughed uncertainly.  
“Sorry for the fuss.” Rose had to act quickly, but not so quick that Jade would catch on if she had not already. “How did you find me?”  
“I was on my way to the diner your family always goes to when they have a mental breakdown. It’s always the first place I check, ya know?” Rose could hear Jade stepping closer, footsteps light and unassuming. Rose stepped onto the cement part of the railing and placed her hands on the metal bars separating her from certain death. They were brutally cold, and she shivered in spite of herself. “...Rose?” Jade asked hesitantly once she said nothing in reply. The train was steadily getting closer, and Rose’s heart rate spiked.  
“Jade, would you be a dear and go back to my house? Tell my family I am--” her voice caught “Tell them I am on my way home behind you. I just need to clear my head.” She had given it away with that, she just knew it. Now or never. Rose lifted one leg over the railing, then paused. She was facing Jade now, and the look of horror that spread across her face as realization of Rose’s intentions hit her full-on made her stomach churn. It almost made her call it off.  
Almost.  
“Rose. Get off there. Get off of there right now!” Jade’s voice rose as she spoke, as the calm she had been trying to maintain disappeared almost instantly. The train whistled. Rose swung the other leg over and she turned, both hands gripping the rail behind her as she stared at the tracks beneath her. “Rose!” She would have to time this perfectly. She would have to jump at any second now.  
Ten.  
Nine.  
Eight.  
Seven.  
Footsteps raced toward her, and Rose felt two warm hands grab her wrists tightly. She twisted her arms, trying to break free, but Jade had a death grip perfected through her years in the color guard. “Damnit, Jade!” she was going to miss if she failed to let go.  
Six.  
Five.  
I’m not gonna let you go! I won’t let you!” Jade was crying, now; a lifetime of friendship can queue one in on those sorts of things.  
Four.  
A lifetime.  
Three.  
Maybe this was a mistake.  
Two.  
Fuck this.  
One.  
The train drove under the bridge without incident, and Rose looked down at the passing cars in shock. It took a few moments for her to realize Jade was talking to her; all she could hear was the rattle of the wheels below her. “--promise I won’t tell anyone about this if you want. Except Dave and Roxy and your parents. That’s not negotiable.” Rose nodded.  
“Help me back over?” she said shakily. Once returned to solid pavement, she sat down, vision blurry and heart pounding out of her chest.  
“We can take my cycle back to your house. Actually, how about mine? Less people means less questions. And I think you need some time to yourself,” Jade was rambling, and she only registered half of it. She was too preoccupied with the way Jade ran her calloused fingers through Rose’s hair, trying to calm her down.  
She could not bring herself to stand quite yet, and so they sat there for a while as dusk surrendered the sky to the night.  
A lifetime, Rose thought as Jade told a story that was meaningless to both of them, simply told as a distraction from the ordeal they had just experienced. She lost herself in the sound of her friend’s voice, the way she giggled through her words. The way her smile reached her eyes. The way she projected warmth, both in body and in spirit.  
A lifetime of friendship and she had almost given that up. She wanted to say something, anything, to express how thankful she was. But Jade’s voice was sweet, and Rose’s eyes were heavy, and she allowed herself to be lulled to sleep under the moon and stars.


End file.
